JAMES DAY 33 - Obsessed with Tomorrow?

DAY 33
OBSESSED WITH TOMORROW?
James 4:13-17
Where does pride show itself in our lives?

We have a second example of pride in v. 13 and it’s surprising, at least to me. “Don’t brag about tomorrow.”

We love hustle and hard work! James sounds downright unAmerican! Dig deeper are you’ll see that v.13-17 are less about money or critiquing capitalism (which didn’t exist in his day) and more about our attitude toward the future. Do you pretend to know more about the future than you can know? Do you pretend to have more control of tomorrow than you do? Where does God fit into your dreams?

Nobody can predict the future. Who predicted the 2020 pandemic? Guess how many experts correctly predicted the 2016 presidential election? How many expect their lives turned upside down when tragedy strikes?

When you pretend to know and control the future, guess what that is? Pride. We pretend to be God, just like those times we aim harsh, judgmental words at people.

What about v.17? How does that connect with pride and the future?

Look again and there are two connections. First, James says, “If anyone KNOWS the good they ought to do.” He just corrected us for pretending to know what we can’t know. Now he’s warning us not to ignore what we DO know. Second, in v.17 James is talking about the present, not the future. What if he’s warning us about being so focused on the future that miss opportunities to do good today?

Don’t be so future-focused that you miss chances to do good today.

REFLECT
Why do we spend so much time worried about the future? How does James tell us to approach the future?

PRAY
Father, the future is in your hands - not mine. Help me to focus on what I can control instead of on what I can’t. Show me opportunities to do good right in front of me, happening today. Amen.